System for shutting-off fluid flow and measuring fluid flow rate

Abstract

A system for shutting-off fluid flow and measuring fluid flow rate may include a housing defining an inlet, a valve body chamber, and an outlet opposite the inlet. The system may also include a valve body at least partially received in the valve body chamber, and an actuator coupled to the valve body and configured to reposition and/or re-orient the valve body. The system may also include at least one pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure differential signal indicative of a pressure difference between pressure at the inlet and the outlet, and a controller configured to receive a valve body signal indicative of a valve body position and/or orientation and the pressure differential signal, and determine a flow rate of fluid flowing through the housing based at least in part on the valve body signal and/or the pressure differential signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for shutting-off fluid flow and measuring fluid flow rate, the system comprising:
 a housing defining an inlet configured to receive a fluid, a valve body chamber, and an outlet opposite the inlet relative to the valve body chamber;   a valve body at least partially received in the valve body chamber;   an actuator coupled to the valve body and configured to at least one of reposition the valve body relative to the valve body chamber or re-orient the valve body relative to the valve body chamber;   at least one pressure sensor in flow communication with the housing, the at least one pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure differential signal indicative of a pressure difference between an inlet fluid pressure associated with the inlet and an outlet fluid pressure associated with the outlet; and   a controller configured to:
 receive a valve body signal indicative of at least one of a valve body position of the valve body or a valve body orientation of the valve body; 
 receive the pressure differential signal indicative of the pressure difference; and 
 determine a flow rate of a fluid flowing through the housing based at least in part on at least one of the valve body signal and the pressure differential signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flow rate is a first flow rate within a first range of flow rates, and the valve body is in at least one of a first position or a first orientation, and
 wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive a parameter signal indicative of operation of a fluid system in flow communication with the housing; 
   cause the actuator to at least one of (1) reposition the valve body from a first position to a second position or (2) re-orient the valve body from a first orientation to a second orientation;   receive a second valve body signal indicative of the at least one of the second position or the second orientation;   receive a second pressure differential signal indicative of a second pressure difference; and   determine a second flow rate of the fluid flowing through the housing based at least in part on the second valve body signal and the second pressure differential signal,   wherein the second flow rate is within a second range of flow rates, the second range of flow rates being different than the first range of flow rates.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein an upper end of the second range of flow rates is higher than an upper end of the first range of flow rates by a multiplication factor, and wherein the multiplication factor ranges from about two to about ten-thousand. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the parameter signal comprises a parameter fluid system pressure signal indicative of a pressure associated with the fluid system. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the valve body is substantially spherical and defines a passage configured to provide flow through the valve body. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a temperature signal and determine the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the housing based at least in part on the temperature signal and at least one of the valve body signal and the pressure differential signal. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to receive a fluid characterization signal indicative of at least one characteristic of the fluid and determine the flow rate of the fluid flowing through the housing based at least in part on the fluid characterization signal and at least one of the valve body signal or the pressure differential signal. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a flow coefficient for fluid flow through the housing based at least in part on the valve body signal indicative of at least one of the valve body position or the valve body orientation. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the flow coefficient by accessing a look-up table including correlations between the flow coefficient and the at least one of the valve body position or the valve body orientation. 
     
     
         10 . A system for shutting-off fluid flow and measuring fluid flow rate, the system comprising:
 a housing defining an inlet configured to receive a fluid, a valve body chamber, and an outlet opposite the inlet relative to the valve body chamber;   a valve body at least partially received in the valve body chamber;   an actuator coupled to the valve body and configured to change at least one of an area through which the fluid flows through the housing or a flow coefficient associated with fluid flow through the housing;   at least one pressure sensor in flow communication with the housing, the at least one pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure differential signal indicative of a pressure difference between an inlet fluid pressure associated with the inlet and an outlet fluid pressure associated with the outlet; and   a controller configured to:
 receive a valve body signal indicative of at least one of a valve body position or a valve body orientation; 
 receive the pressure differential signal indicative of the pressure difference; and 
 determine a flow rate of a fluid flowing through the housing based at least in part on at least one of the valve body signal and the pressure differential signal. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a flow coefficient for fluid flow through the housing based at least in part on the valve body signal. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the flow coefficient by accessing a look-up table including correlations between the flow coefficient and the at least one of the valve body position or the valve body orientation. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to increase a turndown ratio of the system, the turndown ratio comprising a ratio of a maximum measurable fluid flow rate through the housing to a minimum measurable fluid flow rate through the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to increase the turndown ratio by causing the actuator to at least one of reposition the valve body or re-orient the valve body. 
     
     
         15 . A system for shutting-off fluid flow and measuring fluid flow rate, the system comprising:
 a housing defining an inlet configured to receive a fluid, a valve body chamber, and an outlet opposite the inlet relative to the valve body chamber;   a valve body at least partially received in the valve body chamber;   an actuator coupled to the valve body and configured to at least one of reposition the valve body or re-orient the valve body;   at least one pressure sensor in flow communication with the housing, the at least one pressure sensor configured to generate a pressure differential signal indicative of a pressure difference   between an inlet fluid pressure associated with the inlet and an outlet fluid pressure associated with the outlet; and   a controller configured to:
 determine a first flow rate through the housing based at least in part on a first pressure differential signal, the first flow rate being within a first range of flow rates; 
 cause the actuator to at least one of (1) reposition the valve body from a first position to a second position or (2) re-orient the valve body from a first orientation to a second orientation; and 
 determine a second flow rate through the housing based at least in part on a second pressure differential signal, the second flow rate being within a second range of flow rates, 
 wherein the second range of flow rates is different than the first range of flow rates. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive a first valve body signal indicative of the at least one of the first position or the first orientation;   determine the first flow rate based at least in part on the first valve body signal and the first pressure differential signal;   receive a second valve body signal indicative of the at least one of the second position or the second orientation; and   determine the second flow rate based at least in part on the second valve body signal and the second pressure differential signal.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a first flow coefficient for fluid flow through the housing based at least in part on the first valve body signal and determine a second flow coefficient for fluid flow through the housing based at least in part on the second valve body signal. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein an upper end of the second range of flow rates is higher than an upper end of the first range of flow rates by a multiplication factor, and wherein the multiplication factor ranges from about two to about ten-thousand. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to increase a turndown ratio of the system, the turndown ratio comprising a ratio of a maximum measurable fluid flow rate through the housing to a minimum measurable fluid flow rate through the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to increase the turndown ratio by causing the actuator to at least one of reposition the valve body or re-orient the valve body.